The death toll for the quake that hit Turkey and Northern Syria may reach 20,000. For Syrians, the quake has struck a population already overwhelmed by the impacts of war, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.
Death toll from quake anticipated to rise
At the time of writing, the confirmed death toll from the earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria has reached over 6,000 but the World Health Organisation fears it may rise to 20,000. That toll would put it alongside the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan which killed 19,759 people (with 2,553 people still declared missing in 2021) and caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. It could also make it one of the 20 most deadly earthquakes in the last 100 years. The latest summary from the Guardian reports that an estimated 23 million people, including 1.4 million children, are likely to be affected by the quake.
Worst quake to strike Turkey this century
Rescue efforts are being conducted in the freezing cold, heavy rain and snow with a deficit of equipment to rescue people from beneath the rubble. There is an increasing sense of urgency and desperation as with each passing hour, the chance of finding survivors decreases. These photos and videos reveal the absolute devastation caused by the worst quake to strike Turkey this century. On its own, the magnitude of the quake classifies it as major, but the loss of life has been exacerbated by it hitting in the early hours of the morning and the lack of quake resilience in many of the flats and apartments where people lay sleeping. Turkey’s disaster management agency said it had 11,342 reports of collapsed buildings, of which 5,775 had been confirmed. Building standards are already being called into question.
Quake exacerbates suffering of already displaced Syrians
In north-west Syria, where 91% of the people are dependent on aid to survive as the country enters its twelfth year of civil war, hospitals are already overwhelmed. Three million people have already been displaced by war in the north-west. As the Guardian reports, Ismail Alabdullah, a volunteer with a rescue organisation, said he initially thought the noise of the quake and collapsing buildings was “bombs being dropped”. Rescue efforts are being hampered by infrastructure already badly damaged by war.
New Zealand makes initial donation
New Zealand is giving $1.5m to help in the wake of the earthquake. Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta said the initial contribution would go towards the response in Turkey and Syria, to help meet the humanitarian need. In a Facebook post, New Zealand Red Cross has said its working closely with the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, Kizilay – Turkish Red Crescent and Syrian Arab Red Crescent to understand what help is needed, so it can provide the most effective support over the coming days and weeks. Three airports across Turkey have suffered significant damage, creating challenges for aid deliveries.